Procedures & Policies

Please don't hesitate to contact us for questions, concerns, or advice on class selection.

• Phone: 215-972-7632 (We encourage you to include your email address in your message so that we can respond by sending documents and links when needed.)
• Email: continuinged@pafa.edu
• Visit: The Continuing Education Programs is located on the 3rd floor of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building. Enter the building through the School Entrance on Lenfest Plaza and check in at the Security Desk.
• Summer-Fall Interim office hours (through September 9):
  • Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed on Labor Day, Monday, September 7) 
  • Sunday - Sunday, closed (open on Saturday, August 22) 
  • Closed August 23 - 30
• Fall office hours (starting September 10; subject to change due to holidays and class scheduling):
  • Monday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
  • Tuesday, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (maybe be closed/adjusted when classes are not in session)
  • Sunday, closed

To enter PAFA’s buildings and participate in on-campus classes as a CE student, the following documentation is required, per the directives of PAFA’s Office of Safety and Security. 

• CE students enrolled in multi-week classes must present a new or updated PAFA photo ID card. Enrolled students will be emailed instructions on how to submit a photo to obtain new ID; returning students with an ID from a previous class should reuse the same card, which will be updated for the current semester by PAFA security (always save your card!). Note: Your PAFA ID confers school access and benefits for the length of your semester class(es), from the start date to the last day of your classes.
• Students enrolled in workshops or classes running one-week or less are not eligible for PAFA ID cards but must check/sign in at the Security Desk with alternate identification to enter PAFA’s buildings for the length of their classes. Semester access privileges are not issued to students enrolled in workshops or one-week intensives.
• Students enrolled in online or off-campus/outdoor classes are not eligible to receive a PAFA ID card.
• There is a $15 replacement fee for lost or damaged IDs. Contact the Continuing Education office at continuinged@pafa.edu to arrange to pay the fee before obtaining a new card.

PAFA is an Act 48 Approved Provider by the PA Department of Education as of July 29, 2025, and eligible to provide New Jersey Department of Education Professional Development Credit, for its classes and workshops. Class and workshops are eligible for the number of contact hours for which they meet (excluding lunch breaks). Classes need not be taken for PAFA undergraduate academic credit to be eligible for professional development credit hours (see credit options and tuition pricing on individual classes).  Educators electing to receive PA Act 48 or NJ Professional Development Credit should notify the Continuing Education Programs office by emailing continuinged@pafa.edu when registering. PA educators must provide their six-digit Professional Educator Identification Number.  Hours/credits for all class requests are processed after the semester ends, unless needed by an earlier date.  PAFA may not be able to accommodate all rush requests, but every effort will be made to process credits/hours as quickly as possible. Please note: Educators will be required to complete end-of-class evaluations and may be asked to submit follow-up classroom materials demonstrating how CE class material was utilized in classroom lessons, per PA Department of Education Act 48 policy compliance.

• Full payment is due at the time of registration. PAFA cannot prorate classes for late registration, withdrawals or missed classes.
• Registration and payment is available online via VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card. PayPal payment arrangements may be available upon request for international addresses.
• Mailed and in-person check, money order, or cash payments may be accepted by special arrangement -- please confirm with the CE office prior to registration by calling 215-972-2029 or emailing continuinged@pafa.edu.
• Students issuing payment via a scholarship or award from a third party must ensure that payment is received in full by PAFA prior to the class start date, or provide official verification that the balance due will be deposited by an approved alternate date within the term, in order to complete registration. Early registration discounts do not apply for registrations incomplete due to pending payments. Students are responsible for all arrangements with their third-party payer and must abide by the payer’s policies for use of funds.
• PAFA has the right to invalidate registrations for outstanding balances not received by payment deadlines.
• For check payments returned by the bank as unpaid, or for credit/debit card payments that are returned as chargebacks, the student must repay the original amount of the payment plus a returned check/chargeback fee of $35.
• Registration holds may be placed on students’ accounts for unpaid tuition or fees and for documented disciplinary issues or failure to comply with policies.

If minimum enrollment is not met, a class will be canceled on or shortly after its registration deadline date. Students will be notified by phone and may choose to transfer into another class or receive a full tuition and fee refund. Please register early to help prevent class cancellations! Travel insurance is recommended for students attending from a distance for onsite classes.

In the rare event that an urgent issue requires PAFA’s cancellation of a class in progress, a prorated refund or credit will be issued to enrolled students for all missed sessions.

Access to appropriate PAFA school facilities (see Facilities Access) is granted only to students enrolled in in-person on-campus courses, with appropriate ID requirements, for the length of their courses (start-date to end-date). Students must adhere to rules of conduct and materials usage within school spaces.    

• Students are required to use odorless solvents, i.e. Turpenoid.  NO TURPENTINE. 
• Spray fixatives must be used outdoors or in the 7th floor spray booth.  Spray booth assistance available through the Sculpture Shop office.  No other indoor spraying allowed. 
• Do not empty solvents and/or paints into sinks or trashcans.  Use appropriately-labeled barrels, located near each floor’s utility sinks. 
• Students are responsible for cleaning up after themselves before leaving class. PAFA is not responsible for artwork or other belongings left in any PAFA studio or classroom. 
• Students engaged in classes utilizing models are required to comply with rules to respect the model’s privacy, safety, and professionalism at all times: photographing or using recording devices is strictly prohibited without prior consent arranged through the appropriate coordinator; no physical contact or direct communication with the model is allowed during a pose; and students must not enter/exit or otherwise disrupt the classroom during poses; due to the presence of cameras, cell phones are strictly prohibited from being used during the duration of any class in which a life/portrait model is posing. 
• Students are permitted access to the Cast Hall or cast exhibition spaces only with pertinent course enrollment and must follow rules for working with the cast collection.  Students may not touch, move, or place anything on/against the bases or any part of the antique cast collection in the Cast Hall or cast exhibition spaces.  Students must be aware of their proximity to casts when working or moving items and must take measures to prevent residue from art materials from landing on the surface of the casts. 
• Only students currently enrolled in printmaking or sculpture classes, or with a valid Shop Membership, are approved for access to PAFA’s Print and Sculpture Shops. Students enrolled in sculpture or printmaking courses must abide by the rules established by the Shop Managers.   

For more information about the policies, procedures, and services offered at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, including Title IX and VAWA policies, DEIB commitment, and Safety and Security services, please see https://www.pafa.org/about. 

By registering for a CE class, students agree to abide by PAFA's policies and regulations. Failure to comply with school policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal with forfeiture of tuition and fees. 

The closure, delayed opening, or early dismissal of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts will be determined jointly by the Vice President of Safety, Security and Facility Services. Such closing or delay would include the school, galleries and administrative offices. Decisions regarding the cancellation of special events and evening classes may be made later in the day. To find out if PAFA is closed or delayed, check one of the following:

• CE's homepage - A banner message will be displayed only in the event of a closing or delay (no message will be posted if there is no closing/delay)
• PAFA’s main number, 215-972-7600 – An outgoing message advising of a close or delay will be recorded by 6:30 a.m. for morning classes/activities and updated as needed. Please do not call CE office numbers as staff will not be present to respond to messages during closures.

PAFA is conveniently located near the SEPTA Market East and Suburban train stations, bus and trolley stops and PATCO Hi-Speed Line station stops. For maps and directions, please see PAFA's Visitors' Information page. Discounted parking is available at the Parkway Corporation Garage at the southwest corner of Broad and Race streets and at their outdoor lot at the northeast corner of 15th and Cherry streets. Wheelchair accessible spaces available on the 3rd level of garage and in the outdoor lot. To receive discounted parking rates, please obtain a validation sticker from the Security Desk at the Lenfest Plaza (Student) Entrance of the Hamilton Building. Look up location and rate information at Broad & Race | ParkwayCorp and 15th & Cherry | ParkwayCorp. Students with validation stickers receive 20% off the posted rates.